Abstract:

Thanks to the developments in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), the share of digital platforms in the participation of citizens in public decisions is increasing. Participation of citizens in public decisions through digital platforms is called e-participation. Today, as a result of the widespread use of mobile electronic devices such as smart phones and tablets, mobile applications are also used intensively in addition to the websites of public institutions where e-participation is provided. This new phenomenon, called m-participation, first took place at the level of the central government, and then local governments followed this process. The aim of this study is to identify the e-participation tools in the mobile applications of the Metropolitan Municipalities in Turkey and to make an analysis of the extent to which e-participation is achieved through these platforms. The mobile applications of 20 metropolitan municipalities in Turkey which have mobile applications were analyzed. The level of e-participation provided through mobile applications was analyzed at three levels: awareness, consultation and active participation. As a result of the analysis, it was determined that e-participation offered only through the mobile application of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality reached the level of active participation, and the level of e-participation offered through other applications could not go beyond awareness and consultation.

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